Customer Loyalty Programs | RetailCustomerExperience.com

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Knock-knock-knocking on loyalty's doors
	Never take for granted the mere act of a customer walking through your door. Every time it happens, it symbolizes the passage across many thresholds to customer intimacy. Think about it. The relationship between a company and its customer is a …
How price increases led to whopping revenue growth for Kraft
	A November 2, 2011 Barron's article reports that Kraft Foods' third quarter net revenues grew 11.5 percent in part due to a 7 percent price increase. That means that Kraft's revenues grew a whopping 64 percent more than the price increase. For many …
Covert loyalty: Treat, or trick?
	Last week I received an invitation to join Zappo's VIP loyalty program. Of course I knew it existed. I had heard that it was a model of customer service and smart CRM. But the last few times I shopped there I looked around a bit on the website to …
Hyundai's Buyer Safety Net: Real protection, or another marketing gimmick?
	Hyundai recently announced a trade-in guarantee. Buyers of a new Hyundai will know immediately what trade-in value they'll receive on their next purchase. Sounds great. Is it as good as it sounds? Let's see. We have to start with the obvious premise …
Identifying and leveraging your VIP customers
	Of course all of your customers are important to the success of your business, but your top customers are even more important. Let's call them your VIPs. There are three types of retail VIP customers. One set of VIPs are customers who buy the most …
How to cultivate long-term loyalty
	I used to go to the same Chinese Restaurant weekly growing up. My family celebrated birthdays, graduations, and other fun celebrations at this restaurant. It's no wonder they memorized our orders and always recognized us when we came in.When I went …
Jewel-Osco’s new strategy: Good business or sheer folly?
	In a May 3, 2011 Chicago Tribune article Wallin Wong reported that Jewel-Osco "...is continuing to cut prices while tailoring its stores for individual neighborhoods...to reverse sagging sales." For those of you who may not be familiar with the name …
When is a reward NOT a reward? A lesson from Panera Bread.
	In my previous post, "Buying customer loyalty," I railed against reward programs. One restaurant chain, Panera Bread, has proven my point via the type of rewards it offers. Yes, I have a Panera card. I'm not above taking discounts offered even …
Citi offers easy-peasy redemption option
	As we mentioned in our most recent COLLOQUY cover story on today's "squeezed" middle class, offering flexible and simple redemption options is essential for consumers struggling not just for money, but for time. In that piece, we interviewed the …
Walmart gas discounts: Will they change the fuel incentive landscape?
	That value isn't necessarily derived from lower prices — though, of course, price is a strong loyalty motivator for consumers. As a giant retail leader that can compete on price better than any company thanks in large part to its economies of …